


Drive Until you lose the Road

by thecat_13145



Series: How to Save a Life [2]
Category: Iron Man - All Media Types, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Adultery, Complicated Relationships, F/M, Past Rape/Non-con, Voyeurism
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-17
Updated: 2016-09-17
Packaged: 2018-08-15 13:55:40
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,669
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8058940
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thecat_13145/pseuds/thecat_13145
Summary: For the Kink Meme prompt "Tony had liked Edwin Jarvis and had based his JARVIS AI off of his basic traits. He made sure that he was taken care of at a distance since he is old and frail.Then, one day, pictures surfaced that showed Edwin Jarvis in an intimate position with Maria Stark. After making sure the pictures are real, a furious Tony Stark literally flew to Edwin's house to confront them. Thankfully, the combined efforts of Thor and Steve managed to keep him from killing.That was when Edwin explained what happened. Howard Stark was once fairly normal for a eccentric playboy genius. But with Steve disappearing and being part of creating the Atom bomb, he became a little unhinged. This was hidden thanks to a discreet media and the combined efforts of Stane, Maria, and Edwin Jarvis.Howard become obsessed with work and just cannot touch anyone any more. He still cared for Maria and wanted her to feel loved. So, he had Edwin Jarvis have sex with Maria with him watching and directing every single move."Not very sexy. More focused on the long term effects of Howard's decision





	

Really, when was the last time this cooker had being cleaned?

Ignoring the small murmurs of protest from his back, Edwin Jarvis continued his assult on the kitchen. He had nothing against Ms Potts and was sure she was extremely good at her job, but….he smiled to himself, hearing his first boss, Mervlyn Bunter observing that Ladies were all well and good and he would never question their right to work, but they really had no idea of how things should be done in a Gentlemen’s household. 

Then again, whether Bunter would have counted either of the Stark men as gentlemen was debatable. 

Bother. This stain was really not budging. He changed his angle, to see if that helped, but the stain remained unmoving. 

Jarvis twisted his head again, trying to ignore the cracks that reminded him he was not a young man any more. He didn’t readily recognise the source of the stain, but that was nothing unusual. With the Master, and the young master, not that he was all that young now, it could be anything from chicken stock to motor oil to some new compound as yet unknown to science.

He snorted to himself. Funny that neither of them had come up with a compound to remove these. 

He would have to try the bicarbonate soda again. 

Wincing slightly (he really was getting too old for this, but he couldn’t sit and look at that filthy kitchen a moment longer), he reached and retrieved the small ice cream carton he made the mixture up in earlier. 

Dimly, behind him, he was aware of the door opening, but he didn’t look up. He felt completely safe here, in spite of the horrified looks most of his bridge circle had flung him when he announced his plans to come here. Didn't he realise that New York had just being attacked by aliens? 

It had taken all his consider self control not to observe that it was hardly the first time it had happened. Instead, he bid two no trump and remarked that he would be staying with Mr Stark, so he was sure he would be “quite safe.”

And he was still certain he was. Both Mr Starks had always taken good care of their homes and those who they cared about, however little care they might take of themselves…

A shadow fell across the oven door and he looked up.

“Master Anthony.” He smiled. The younger Mr Stark was standing there, his hands in fists. He was breathing heavily. “Is everything alright?”

There was no movement in the face, the jaw clenched nearly as tightly as the hands. Jarvis felt a his stomach drop.

“Master Anthony?” He reached carefully towards the younger man. His hand was nearly on Anthony’s shoulder when the fist came around to meet him.

“You son of a bitch!”

“TONY!”

Dimly he was aware of other people bursting into the room. Of one of the two Blond men (he thought it was Thor, but it was a little hard from this angle to be sure) hefting Tony up off the floor. He was aware of a hand on his shoulder, a voice asking if he was alright, but it all felt distance to the crumbled piece of paper lying on the floor.

It wasn’t that bad. Certainly not as pornographic as some of the images that he had seen of Tony scattered around the tabloids, but it was one of the images he’d privately vowed Tony would never see. The sort of image that no boy should ever see of his mother. Particularly with a man who was not his father.

“Where did you…” His mouth was suddenly very dry. He swallowed. “Where did you get this?”

The only response from Tony was a seam of Italian Curse words, which he could only blame Maria for teaching him. The voice behind him answered softly.

“It was in SHIELD’s Files.”

Fury. He should have guessed. 

“It’s all over the internet bout a half ago.” He turned slightly to look at the man kneeling next to him. Steve Rogers, Captain America. So it must be Thor who was still holding Tony. Mr Rogers at least had the grace to look guilty.

Jarvis reached over, picking up the photo and smoothing it out. Maria Stark gazed back at him, her black curls falling loosely down her back. He had forgotten how beautiful she could be. How much he missed her.

She would have known how to explain this, how to make this right.

“I’m sorry.” He whispered, not sure if he’s apologising to her and Howard or to their son. 

“Did Dad know?” Tony was calm enough to be yelling in English now and he answered the question as calmly as he can.

“Yes.” The disgust in Tony’s eyes is more than he can bear. “But it isn’t…what you think.”

He can’t bear to have what happened between the three of them turned into some cheap, filthy upstairs downstairs fling with Howard as a Marie complisant as the French say. Americans can be greater prigs than the English.

“What?” Tony’s voice sounded like it did on the phone when he talked about Obadiah these days. “My Dad just came up to you and said “Hey Jarvis, I know what’ll be a fun idea. You Fuck my wife?””

Normally he would berate Tony for his language, but that seemed to be the least of the issues here. “Not quite in those words.”

“In what words then?”

/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*

“Pardon?” He has to have misheard Mr Stark, because that is nothing that can convince him otherwise.

“Maria wants to have sex with you.” Howard shrugged. “Got to admit it threw me a bit of a curve ball as well, I was banking on Anton or maybe Obie if she felt alike a challenge. But no, I ask Mrs Stark what she wants and she says you.”

Not misheard then. Possibly fallen sideways into one of the alternate dimensions that Mr Stark talks about. 

“Mr Stark_”

“You like her don’t you? You think she’s attractive.”

He can’t deny that. Maria has pale skin, almost white and luxurious raven black curls that fall like some Pre Raphaelite painting. Her figure would make Miss Munroe envious. And aside from that, she’s brilliant, easily Mr Stark’s equal in the intelligence and has the most melodic laugh he has ever heard…

“That’s hardly the point.” He took a deep breath trying to steady himself. “She’s your wife.”

“And I’m saying I’m O.K. with it.” Howard’s dark eyes bore into him. “Why else would I ask her?”

He almost answers honestly, some form of twisted game either with her or with the staff. But he stopped himself in time. Howard is a brilliant man. If he was playing any sort of game it would be more subtle than this. And Edwin Jarvis would wouldn't’ stand a chance. 

So instead he asks the question which is second foremost in his mind.

“Why?”

This time Howard looks at him like he’s said something extremely stupid.

“You know why.”

/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/**/

“Aphenphosmphobia is the technical name for it.” Jarvis shrugged. “Or I believe so, based on the literature I’ve read. It’s a fear, a phobia really, of any form of physical contact. I don’t know much about what caused it. Maria said Howard had always had a mild version of it. Didn’t like any physical contact he wasn’t in control, but could handle it. Then the war…and something happened.” He held up his hand. “I don’t know details. Maria only ever referred to it as the Incident. Said that the Incident, combined with the…the Atom bomb and project Rebirth made it worse. Made it out of his control. By the time I knew him, he…” He swallowed deeply because the memories are still painful in their own way. “He couldn’t bare to touch anyone or be touched.”

There was a long silence. Jarvis risked lifting his head and glancing around the room. Tony looked furiously stunned, but he looked like he believed him, so Jarvis was prepared to take what he could get. Rogers looked thoughtful as though he was making connections he should have made a long time ago. Thor merely looked bemused by the whole situation. 

“He could just about cope with crowded rooms, with people accidently brushing against him, could force himself to shake hands, to even hug, with another person, but…” he paused again. “Howard once told me that it was like everyone’s skin was coated in acid. When they made contact with him, it burned.”

“How does that fit in with these?” Tony demanded, pointing at the pictures. Jarvis sighed.

“Maria was a very physically affectionate person. It was her favourite method of communicating with people.” He paused, wondering how to explain that twisted world. Even now, he wasn’t sure he could put in terms that Tony could understand. “She loved Howard completely, but it was very difficult for her to cope with being unable to touch him without causing him pain.” He shrugged. “Howard just wanted to make it easier for her.”

/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*

He undresses mechanically, keeping his back to Maria. 

In strange way, it reminds him of the medical inspection before his RAF tenure. The same awkwardness, the avoiding of eye contact. The same instinctive neatness of clothes. 

He risked a glance over to Maria, who was now standing clade in a silk cream petticoat, her hands bunched into fists by her side.

He reached out towards her and she flinched. Jarvis let his hand fall back to his side.

“Nothing has to happen.” He said softly. “I can get dressed and leave right now. My resignation can be on Mr Stark’s desk tomorrow. I can be gone tonight_”

Maria interrupted him. “No!” She swallowed, her voice calmer. “No. I don’t want that.” She turned to look at him. “I’m sorry Ja.” She shook her head. “What’s your first name? I can’t call you Jarvis like this.”

“Edwin.”

“Edwin.” She said the name like she was tasting it, the hint of an Italian accent returning to her voice. “I’m Sorry Edwin. You don’t deserve to be mixed up in this. If you want to leave, I wouldn’t blame you.”

She sat down on the bed. “Do you know something?” She asked, before Jarvis could say or do anything. “Sometimes I envy Obadiah's girls. I mean, We both know Obadiah is…”

“As bent as a nine bob note?” Jarvis suggested. Maria laughed.

“Basically. But those girls…” She shook her head, running a finger up her arm. “They get a hand on their back, just guiding them through the room. An arm around them if they are very lucky. But he couldn’t give a dam about them. And Me?” She shrugged. “I’m with a man who values me as a person, as his intellectual equal.” She looked up at Edwin, something broken, fragile and desperate glinting at the corner of her eyes. “Most women would kill for that.”

It’s pure instinct to sit down on the bed beside her, to wrap his arms around her. Maria rested her heard on the crook of his neck, her breath coming in unequal gasps, like a woman drowning.

The door opened and he froze, as Howard Stark wondered in, in a red dressing gown.

“Please don’t start without me.”

//*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*

“He watched to watch?”

“To direct really.” Jarvis shrugged. “The photographs came much later. I think if he had suggested initially we would have both run a mile.” He swallowed. “I think it was the only way he could derive… sexual pleasure from what was happening.”

Tony’s face is almost white and Jarvis felt the worst man in the world. Like he should have told Howard to take a long walk off a short cliff all those years ago.

“He truly loved Maria.” He repeated softly. “And she loved him. I’m aware it wasn’t conventional, but…” he trailed off, unable to come up with anything other than when had either Howard or Maria done anything conventional?

“And No One knew?”

It’s on the tip of Jarvis tongue to say that people always know or suspect, but he knows what Tony really meant. The tabloids.

“President Roosevelt, Eisenhower, Johnson, all had mistresses. President Kennedy conducted affairs with at least 14 different women, while in the White House. 

"It was a different time.” Jarvis forced himself out of the past. “The newspapers still took the view that man was entitled to a private life. The Stark Industry legal department was always extremely good and let’s face it. It’s easier to hide that a man is not having sex than that he is.” He paused and added. “Anyway compared to rumours concerning some of his fellows behavior, things with Howard were quite mild. The rumours regarding what Thomas Wayne got up to.” He shook his head.

Silence reigned before Captain Rogers began, glancing uncomfortably at Tony. “you mean Howard and Maria never…”

“Not in the time I knew them.” He shrugged. “I think they managed to make the marriage legal, in the beginning, but…”

“Then” Rogers glanced towards Tony and back towards Jarvis. Jarvis froze.

“No.” he said firmly. “No. Maria wanted Howard. She wanted Howard’s child.” He paused. “I don’t blame you for your misapprendsion, Captain. For a while I shared it.”

/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*

“I’m Pregnant.” Maria declared. Edwin froze, in the act of reaching for his trousers. 

“Does…Does Howard know?”

Maria shrugged. “He knows we’ve being trying, of course. He doesn’t we’ve being successful yet.” She smiled. “I wanted you to be the first to know.”

“And he is...O.K. with this?”

Maria looked confused. “Why wouldn’t he be?” She paused suddenly. “Edwin, you don’t think…?” His face told her clearly that he did. She laughed. “I can understand why Peggy says that men are too careless with life to entrust it’s reproduction to them. I don’t know what they taught you in the RAF, but these,” She shook a condom packet in front of him. “Prevent pregnancy.”

“They don’t always work.” Jarvis muttered, dropping his head, embarrassed. Maria smiled. 

“Yes, but normally due to incorrect or misuse.” She smiled as she undid the wrapper. “And I’m too much of a perfectionist to make mistakes.” She glanced at him, gently reaching out and guiding his hand over to her belly. “The baby is Howard’s officially and physically.” Her smile was both an apology and a blessing.

/*//*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*

Steve looked confused. “Then how?”

“IVF.” Tony muttered. “In Vitreo Fertilisation.” He glanced at them. “Stark Industry was pushing the boundaries of it in the Seventies.”

Roger’s expression was clearly that he was no clearer, but Jarvis didn’t have the energy to focus on the other man. He could see the expression on Tony’s face that for a moment, Tony was disappointed. He had wanted Jarvis to be his father.

Things couldn’t have being that bad between them.

“Master Tony?” He reached out his hand towards the other man. Tony shook Thor off and spun on one heel. “Tony?”

The hiss of the elevator door was his only response.

/*/**//*/*/**//*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*

“I know.” Howard sighed. “I know. I mishandled that.”

He glanced down at his hands. “You’d think this would get easier.” Jarvis wasn’t sure if he was referring to the event they were heading to, a party where Howard would be expected to rub shoulders and shake hands with upwards of a hundred people or bringing up Tony. “He’s got a mouth on him. Got spirt. I’d have never dared talk back to my old man like that.”

“From what I’ve heard of him, that is something to be grateful for.”

“Yeah.” Howard ran a hand though his hair. “I’m not my father. You think one day Tony’ll be saying that about me?”

Jarvis paused. “Fathers and sons. The literature on that particular relationship is as old as human kind.” He watched Howard carefully. “The relationship is thwart with difficulties. On both sides.” He shrugged. “But Time heals all wounds.”

Howard’s face was dark for a moment. “Not all wounds Jarvis.”

He shook his head. “Just keep an eye on him, till we get back will ya?”

/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*

Steve turned away from the door to see the old man kneeling, his hand ghosting over the crumpled picture.

“I’m sorry.” He muttered, almost too soft for Steve to hear.

“You loved her.”

Jarvis shrugged. “I love them both, and Tony too.” He got slowly, stiffly to his feet. “For nearly 20 years, they were my world.”

“Why’d you leave?”

Jarvis smiled bitterly. “Mr Stane found a lot of the pictures when he cleared out after the funeral. Reminded me that there was a morality clause in my contract.” He sighed. “He said if I left, made no fuss, then he would destroy the pictures. If not,…” He shook his head. “I never wanted Tony to see them. I knew what others would make of them. And just after her death…” He swallowed. “I was coward. Told Tony I was leaving because of ill health. Said I’d made the decision before Howard died.” There were tears in the other man’s eyes as he repeated. “I never wanted Tony to know. No one did. The…” He swallowed again. “When it was definite that Maria was pregnant, that she was going to carry the baby to term, Howard made the most determined effort I’d ever seen to get over his phobia, to force it from his body.”

He closed his eyes, trying blot out the images of Howard curled up in a ball in one corner, Maria screaming at him to stop this and Howard screaming back that how was he going to be a father to his baby, when he couldn’t even touch him.

“It was a disaster. Howard was stressed, which made the problem worse.” He paused. “I eventually asked him to stop because I was convinced if he didn’t, Maria would loose the baby.” He added softly. “Things got worse after the baby was born.”

/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*

“What?” Maria demanded, as Jarvis focused his attention on the sauce. “Don’t look at me that way.”

She flung herself into one of the barstools around the kitchen. “Boarding school is the best option. Tony wouldn’t be challenged enough by any of the local schools.”

Jarvis lifted a spoon to his mouth. “More pepper.”

“Jarvis!” She grabbed at his arm, upsetting the pan. “What do you want me to say? To do?” She was shaking his arm. “I don’t have any choice. Howard can barely cope with us, you expect him to cope with a four year old running around the place.”

“I expect you not to make him feel like it was his fault you had to give up your baby.”

He’s expecting the slap and doesn’t react to it, even when Maria’s ring catches at the edge of his cheek. “I’ll get a cloth.” He said softly, because unlike Howard he can’t lock himself away in a lab.

/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*

“Tony was very like Maria, very physically affectionate with people, even if physically he was the spilt of Howard.” Jarvis sighed. “Howard kept trying to deal with it, force himself to accept it. Sometimes the pain got too much and he’d lash out at Tony, at anyone who happened to be near, but he kept trying. But Maria…” he paused. “She’d got so used to, disciplined herself not to touch Howard. Tony confused her badly.”

He thought of the way Obadiah would always be touching Howard, a hand on his shoulder, using Howard’s pain as a control mechanism effectively. He’d seen enough footage to suggest that he’d transferred the habits to Tony. That boy had suffered enough because of his resemblance to Howard.

“Did Howard ever get professional help?” Steve asked, because that sounds like it would have being the sensible thing to do.

Jarvis shook his head. “No. I think the idea was suggested a couple of times, but Mr. Stane always shot it down.” He paused and added. “That man was so anti-therapy in any form that I can only conclude he’d had bad experiences with it. Possibly because of his homosexuality.” He added softly. “He loved Howard, but I doubt Howard was ever truly aware of it. In the end…” He sighed. “Well, recent events showed I misjudged him, I suppose. Not a killer, just an opportunist.” 

“Did Peggy know?”

Jarvis paused. “I don’t think so.” He admitted, softly. “Mr Stark’s relationship with her was always interesting. Almost fraternal. He seemed to feel he had to hide what was going on, to be strong for her.” He added softly. “Maria was the only person he’d let see him be weak.”

“Maria and you.”

Jarvis blinked back some tears.

/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*

“Boss?” Happy Hogan moved carefully towards the edge of the balcony, where Tony was standing. “Boss, you alright?”

Tony snorted. “This was always our place.” He said, looking across it. “It’s where I’d go after another row with my dad. And Jarvis would always bring cookies or whatever he’d being baking that morning out. And he’d make tea and we’d talk.”

“Boss?” Happy said, still nervous. When Tony was in this sort of mood, you couldn’t really predict what he was going to do.

Tony shook his head. “Everytime I think I’m getting nearer to understanding my father, to moving out from under his shadow, he manages to throw me a curve ball. Reminds me that I’m more like him than I think.”

“You don’t have that Aphen...Aphenph… that thing.”

Tony shrugged. “I don’t like being handed things. Dad didn’t like being touched.”

He looked at Happy, his face suddenly serious. “Happy, you’ve got to promise me. If I ever ever suggest that you have sex with Pepper while I watch, you’ll punch me.”

Happy smiled. “That presumes I’d get a chance boss.” He shook his head. “Can’t see Pepper sleeping with anyone she’ doesn’t want to sleep with.”

“And if she wants to?”

Happy shook his head firmly. “You don’t share boss. And neither do I.”


End file.
